


Mouthwash

by LaCroixWitch



Category: The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Caretaking, Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Living Together, Loneliness, Mother Hen, Nesting, Partying, Pining, Romance, Sexual Tension, Shame, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-12
Updated: 2019-05-12
Packaged: 2020-03-01 16:02:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,118
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18803614
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LaCroixWitch/pseuds/LaCroixWitch
Summary: Elena has had to move into the boarding house for a bit, and for some reason it's starting to make Damon feel bad about feeding on humans. Damon gets caught in between being the ever-doting mother hen to Elena and giving into his more base vampire desires. If only the problem could be the solution...





	1. Chapter 1

One week- that's how long it had been since Damon had real blood. He had been digging into his blood bag stash, occasionally heating it in the microwave to give himself the illusion of warm human blood. It was better than the animal swill Stefan drank, but not by much. Elena had been staying at the boarding house for the past week for some supernaturally related reason, but Damon couldn't quite remember why. If it was something life-threatening for her, he would know, but this was clearly not that important. With as much drama that was happening lately, Damon really couldn't keep up. His shorter-than-normal attention span was already at its wits-end now that he found himself engrossed in caring about Elena. The shortage of human blood, from the vein, wasn't helping his mental capacity much either.

For some reason, whenever Elena was staying with them, Damon couldn't bring himself to bring back humans to feed on. Usually, he would just go out to a bar and snatch, eat, release, but he was trying to keep a lower profile. That was easy when he could bring back unassuming girls to the house, feed on them and leave them thinking it was a kinky one-night stand, but Elena definitely wouldn't like that.

_She isn't even your girlfriend, remember? You can't live your whole life worrying about some girl who doesn't want you. She wants Stefan, remember? 'I love Stefan. It will always be Stefan.' That's what she said._

But for some reason, Damon couldn't get her out of his head, and when she was staying over he couldn't help but feel self-conscious about his risque life choices. This also meant that it had been one week since he got laid- far too long for Damon Salvatore. It was almost impossible controlling himself in the house at this point.

Elena was coming down every morning in tiny pajamas, drinking the coffee he made, eating bananas like that wasn't the most erotic thing in the world. Every time she bent over the counter- reading through the paper, looking at her phone, writing in her journal- it took every fiber of his being to not grab her by the hips, flip her around and kiss her.

_She always flaunts herself in front of me like that. I know she plays innocent, but at this point it has to be on purpose._

He was standing in the shower, letting the steam and soap attempt to rinse of the angst of his morning encounter with Elena.

_I mean come on, she finds some excuse every morning to bend over like that. Next thing I know she'll be offering to load the dishwasher. And she totally could get dressed before she came downstairs. For fucks sake, I even told her she could borrow one of the nice Turkish cotton robes. I left one of my silk robes on the coat hook in Stefan's room if she wanted that instead- because Stefan is some kind of heathen who doesn't have robes. God, sometimes I doubt if we are even related._

He lathered up his hair, massaging his scalp with his tingling mint shampoo. He rubbed slow circles, focusing near his temples, trying to release the tension in his head. Combing his fingers through his hair, he spread the lather down the whole length. The scalding water fell from the rainfall shower, each drop searing his marble skin and making him feel warm-almost human.

_Of course- there's no way we can be related. We can't be, because I never would have left Elena alone here with me, especially not for a whole week. That's just asking for trouble._

He tossed his head back, rinsing out the remainder of the suds. Reaching for his louffah, he also grabbed his bodywash. He squirted some of the rich, sandalwood scented liquid on the loofah and began to scrub his body, just enjoying the motion. Vampires didn't need to exfoliate, they never had dead skin to slough off, but he did love the way Elena's pulse jumped when she smelled him fresh out of the shower. She might not even notice her own reaction, but the torture of being able to hear her pulse, to know she had that reaction, was worth the satisfaction of knowing his feelings at least weren't completely unfounded.

Stefan was out this week, trying to appease Klaus. Klaus wanted his 'buddy' back, and Stefan was trying to convince him that he was a changed man to try to get him off of their back. Everyone was so thankful that he no longer wanted to kill Elena, or any of them for that matter, but it wasn't helpful that Klaus was so adamant on taking Stefan with them. Stefan was pretending not to notice how jealous Elena was becoming of Rebekkah, the same way Elena pretended not to notice how Stefan became jealous of Damon every time Damon did anything remotely amicable toward her.

_God they are all a bunch of idiots. I told her how I felt, directly- up front. I'm actually pretty proud of that._

He had told her how he felt, but nothing changed. Nothing changed at all, and now Elena just looked at him sometimes, her brown, mocha-colored, gorgeous pools of eyes sadder than normal.

_She's always sad. That has to be why Stefan loves her. He's attracted to the brooding._

Damon had specifically had extra hot water heaters installed so that he never ran out of water, but at this point he had been in the shower so long that the water was running cool. He had every single jet on in the shower- both rainfall heads, nine body jets, even the aromatherapy steamer, but he didn't live this long to not live in the lap of luxury. He turned all of them off and shook out his head, flinging the excess water out of his hair. The stone tile of the bathroom floor was warm beneath his feet, thanks to the heated floors he had installed a few years ago. Being a vampire was cold.

_Almost like being a lizard. A blood sucking, sex-god lizard. There has to be a porn about that._

The warm water, the warm floor, his warm Turkish cotton towels, they all made him feel just a little more human. He stared at himself in the mirror, a black towel slung around his waist and admired his forever-toned physique.

_How can she not want this. I mean, I would fuck me._

It was true- his abs were chiseled, his pecs were tight, and he didn't have an ounce of flab anywhere.

_God I am so hungry I want to snack on myself. I'm so horny I want to fuck myself. I have to do something about this._

Damon was too pent up, and decided he was going to go out tonight. It was Friday, which increased his chances of snatching away some girl for a few hours. If he went back to the girl's place, he could tick off all his boxes. He wouldn't have to feed publicly and he would definitely get to have sex. Definitely is a bold claim, but Damon never once had to compel a woman to have sex with him, and he never once went back to a girl's place without her pulling him into bed.

 _Except Elena. I've been to her house at least a hundred times. Still no cigar._ He peeled his eyes away from his own reflection and opened the door to his bedroom.  _She's literally in your house right now. She's been staying here a whole week and she hasn't even been in your bedroom-_

"Elena, I see you finally made it to the best room in the house." He tried his best to hide his surprise, fighting to keep his cocky facade. "Welcome to my lair…" He wiggled his eyebrows with each word, finishing the statement with a wink.

"Oh um.. I'm so sorry.. I-b" Elena was flustered, blushing..  _And clearly trying to hide the fact that her jaw dropped to the floor._ He briefly considered letting his towel drop 'by accident' but he figured that this was torture enough.

"Not that it isn't  _lovely_  to have you here, but is there something you needed? Or did you just come in for the  _show?_ " He began walking to his closet, going about his normal routine.  _Totally not trying to give her the best angles to look at._

Elena clapped her hands down to her sides, biting her lip into an awkward pout. She didn't know what to do with herself, but to Damon's surprise, she timidly walked over to the bed and sat down on the edge. "Um, well I wanted to take a shower, but it's pretty chilly up in Stefan's bathroom, so I figured I would take you up on the offer of one of those nice robes you mentioned?"

As he grabbed a black t-shirt and dark jeans out of the walk in closet, a faint honeysuckle smell wafted off of some of his hangers.

"So… you dug through my meticulously organized closet trying to find one?"

"How did you know?"

"Vampire senses, remember? There are five senses, one of them is smell."

"Oh.."  _There's the blush again._

"I'll grab you a robe from the bathroom, but please, don't go through my things again. You might not like what you find."

"What, do you have some journal full of secrets you don't want me to know about?" She swung her slender legs up onto the bed, crossing them to sit indian-style. She leaned forward, resting her head on her hand. Damon found it strange how comfortable she looked now, relaxing in his room.

"No,  _nosey_. But I do have some whips, chains, ball-gags…"

"Just. Stop there. I get it- weird sex things. Won't dig through your closet again."

He placed his jeans and t-shirt on the bed, turning around to grab a pair of black boxer-briefs out of his dresser. His towel was sitting low on his hips, and Elena couldn't help but stare at the dimples on his lower back as he faced the dresser. He walked into the bathroom, leaving the door wide open. Elena leaned over, taking a peek inside the bathroom she envied. She had only caught glimpses of it once or twice, but it looked just as ostentatious as she remembered. Damon walked over to the line of hooks next to the large, marble, freestanding tub. Then something happened that made Elena's breath hitch- he dropped his towel. She had been precariously leaning to the side, looking through the door, and she jump of the shock made her slowly fall to her side, leaving her reclining on the bed.

Elena couldn't see it, but Damon smirked, letting himself pause for much longer than necessary. He slowly stepped into his boxer-briefs, letting the tight, stretchy fabric hug each curve of his ass as he gently wiggled them up to his hip bones. Grabbing his own robe, he slid his arms into it before grabbing the spare robe and walking back over to Elena. When she saw him turn around, she tried to look casual, laying on her side with one hand under her head.

"Well, you look like you've made yourself at home." He tossed the extra robe to her, and she grabbed it, noticing the soft fabric and running her hand over it.

"I mean, this bed is ridiculously comfortable. Do you blame me?" She was crossing her fingers mentally, hoping that he didn't notice her falling over from looking at him.

_I literally had her swooning. I can't tell her I noticed- I want to see how many more times she can make a fool of herself before she leaves the room._

"Of course not. When you're a vampire, you don't need to sleep, but I like to. And, like most other things that I like to do, I only like the best. I'm surprised your little human back hasn't crumbled yet from sleeping on Stefan's lumpy old mattress that long. I can't believe he makes you sleep on that  _thing_."

"I mean, he doesn't sleep as much as you do…"

"My bed has many talents beyond being great for spinal support." He smirked at her, keeping eye contact just long enough to make her squirm.  _Be nice to her Damon, you do love her, remember?_  His inner angel on his shoulder was starting to chime in. "You know, you could stay in one of the guest rooms. This was a boarding house, after all."

"I didn't even realize those rooms have furniture in them. Isn't everything in them… you know… old?"

"Just because  _quasimodo_  up there lives in his dusty attic hovel doesn't mean that the rest of the house looks like that. He won't let me touch his room. He's lucky there aren't contractors up there right now fixing it. It took me years to convince him to let me fix the bathroom."

"Do the guest rooms have beds this comfy?" Damon couldn't help it, it did make him happy to think that he could give her something Stefan couldn't, even if it was just a comfortable mattress.

"Well, they still don't begin to hold a candle to my room, but yes, I took some liberties bringing them into the 21st century. Let me get dressed and I'll give you the pick of whichever room you want."

"That would be so nice, especially since I don't know how long I'll be staying."

"Oh really?" He put on his jeans before pulling on his v-neck. He couldn't take too much longer of being alone in the house with Elena.

"Well, Alaric has been staying there with Jeremy recently-"

"Ok, Alaric is  _wonderful_  company. What exactly is the problem there?"

"Well, besides the fact that I walked in on Alaric using my bathroom, too many vampires have been let in that house."

"Well, technically you do own this house, so you are the only one who invited vampires in here. But you also are the sole-owner of your own house, so unless you were dumb and invited someone in you shouldn't have, I still don't get it. Come on, spit it out- the real reason- are you afraid I might be getting lonely here without Stefan, because I can assure you, I have no problem finding people to keep me company…."

"I've been having nightmares in that house." She was quiet.

"Oh."

"I don't know why, but it is more peaceful here. It's so quiet. And until school starts, I don't have anything to do really. So if I'm going to sit around and read, I'd rather do it somewhere that doesn't have so many bad memories… plus the garden is so pretty here."

"Then follow me, I think one of the guest rooms might really  _tickle your fancy_." He raised his eyebrows and started walking out to the hall. Elena rolled over, throwing her legs over the side of the bed and grabbing the robe before she stood up.

He led her down the hall, passing the staircase from downstairs, and the smaller staircase that lead up to Stefan's attic room.

"I never realized how long this hallway is…" Elena's eyes were wide. She had never really thought about it, but this house was much bigger than the four or five rooms she usually walked through.

"Yep. I think it's about thirteen bedrooms. Only a few of them have their own bathrooms, but a few of them share a bathroom. There are also a few strange communal bathrooms, you know, just like the ones in a college dorm. Those, I never renovated- if you ever wander into those, you'll get to see just how terrifying piping was in the 20's."

"This place does kind of look like a dorm… or maybe a fancy boarding school. Wait, we are passing a lot of closed doors, you said I could pick a room…"

"You can explore all you want, but I'm going to show you the best first. Plus, who do you take me for Elena- I know what you like." Of course he knows what she likes. The first time she stayed here for more than a few days, he called up the contractor and had him renovate the garden room. Originally, his grand-niece lived in this room along with the first Salvatore family to run the boarding house. Clearly, she had been a bit of a spoiled child, and even without renovations the room had been stunning, but Damon couldn't let Elena be in such a dusty place.

_Then why have you been letting her stay up in Stefan's room._

He was actually a bit embarrassed that he had fixed up a room for her, especially since he was so pent-up with her here lately. But Damon cared about her, and he wanted her to have somewhere to stay that could be just hers. The only reason he hadn't offered it to her yet was because he hadn't had a reason to.

_What am I going to do. Go up to Elena and be like 'oh hey! Since Stefan isn't here, here's a way nicer room that I specifically designed for you.' No, she might catch on to that. Plus, maybe without Stefan in that room she'll realize just how terrible his taste in furnishing is._

Really, he hadn't told her because he was afraid that it would upset Stefan. Or that Elena would think that it was gauche and turn it down.

Elena realized, as they were nearing the end of the hallway, that the door at the end was just as large as the door to Damon's room. "Is that where you're taking me? All the way to the end?"

"Yes Elena, remarkable instincts." He reached over, swinging open the door, revealing a room that was the antithesis of the matching room on the other side of the house. If you only looked at the structure, the room was very similar to Damon's. The ceiling was sweeping and tall, like a cathedral, but the exposed beams and wooden ceiling were painted a chalky white. Some skylights had been cut out of the sweeping ceiling, casting a gorgeous mid morning glow to the room. A pale, robin's-egg blue color was painted on the walls, making the room almost feel like it was in the sky with the clouds. The space was enormous, with a delicate four-post canopy bed against the only wall without windows. Crisp white bedding, the kind like hotels used, covered the tall, plush mattress, begging for Elena to climb in to take a nap. Flowing, sheer white fabric cascaded down the posts, creating a delicate veil around the bed that somehow made it seem more bright as opposed to covered. The windows were draped with the same fabric, pulled back to let in the most light possible.

One of the windows had a built-in seat, the perfect reading nook. But whereas most window seats had thin, uncomfortable cushions, this one had a thick, plush seat, the padding following up the walls to make it more comfortable. There were more cozy pillows and a soft, woven blanket. Out the windows, there was a view of the rose garden, including the small cherub fountain that Elena once dropped a book in while reading outside. Elena couldn't help but ignore Damon right now, as she climbed into the window seat, admiring the view of the garden. She cracked open the window, melting at the scent of roses that flowed in.

"If you like the window seat, then I think there's something else you will like." He walked toward the end of the room, but Elena was still distracted, relaxing in the window. He caught her attention though when she heard a door open and felt a rush of floral air enter the room. She hopped up, finally noticing the balcony.

"There's a balcony?" In awe, Elena stepped out, noticing the small wrought-iron patio furniture that looked like something out of a French movie. The balcony overlooked the extensive back gardens, covered in an air of mystery at how they were so well-maintained.

"Well, back when people used to stay here, it was called the 'garden room', for obvious reasons. Now if you like it, you can stay here… but it will put you back a few extra dollars a night…" He winked, walking back inside. Elena followed, an eager puppy at his heels.

"Now in terms of closet, it's in the same place as mine, to the right of the bed." He opened the door before silently cursing himself.

_Fuck. How do I explain this?_

When he had the room renovated, he went ahead and got some clothes to put in the closet. At the time, it seemed thoughtful, since Elena did have a habit of getting herself into situations where various viscera got on her clothes, but suddenly, he was incredibly self-conscious about it.

"Are there clothes already in it?"

"Well, full disclosure. I figured at some point, if you kept staying here you might end up getting tired of Stefan's room, and if you were here long enough I figured you might need some clothes, you know, in case of emergency- like if you couldn't go back home or-"  _Nice Damon, you're babbling._

"No, it's great… it's actually really thoughtful."

"I mean, it's not much, just the basics-"

"Is this a cocktail dress? I can't even pronounce the name on the tag… is it for some sort of party emergency?" She smirked at him.  _Oh, how the tables have turned._

"Moving on, I'll show you where the bathroom is. Now, clearly it's not opposite of the bed like in my room, because there is a balcony there, but using your superb powers of deduction, you might have noticed there is one more door, well set of doors, in this room we haven't opened yet." He strode over, flinging open another set of gorgeous french doors, not dissimilar from the ones that opened to the balcony. The bathroom was just as impressive as his own, but in a completely different way. The windows showed off more views of the garden, with an antique clawfoot tub positioned just right to show off the beautiful scenery. Tiny white hexagonal tiles covered the floor and white subway tiles climbed up the walls of a glass-encased shower.

"Now, I know this shower isn't quite as fancy as mine, but it was designed for one, so I think you can manage."

"I'll be able to do more than manage. Why have you been hiding this from me again?"

"Nothing to hide. You just didn't look. Clearly you have no problem snooping around, like you did in my closet earlier, so it is completely your fault that you haven't found this yet. Plus, didn't you want to sleep up in your boyfriend's room,  _savoring_  the scent of his cologne on his pillow, holed up in there until your  _love_  returns?" His voice was dripping with sarcasm, sing-songing through all the mushy words.

"I'm serious Damon, if I knew this was here I wouldn't even stay in Stefan's room when he was home. I honestly just figured most of these rooms were empty. I don't know how I never noticed the balcony when I was out in the gardens. This is like something out of a fairytale. Wait, does Stefan know about this room- "

"Are you asking me if he knew about it and made you sleep in his dusty barracks anyway? I would love to throw him under the bus here and say yes, but truth be told, I don't think he has ventured far outside his room in years, so I'll go with a firm,  _maybe_. Now, is there anything else you need?"

"Just an answer for who cleans this whole house" Elena mumbled.

"Maids Elena. Maids clean this house. God, we're vampires, not magicians." He mocked disgust. "Now, didn't you say something about taking a shower? Still want to go back upstairs to Stefan's drafty bathroom? If this shower in here isn't adequate, you know… there always is mine… " She narrowed her eyes at his smirk.

"No, this is more than adequate." Elena pulled her hair out of the messy ponytail it had been in, letting the chestnut strands fall down to her shoulders. Her scent filled the room, and Damon suddenly remembered how hungry he was for fresh blood. Usually a bastion of self-control, he could feel his fangs pressing at his gums as his ears honed in on the sound of her pulse. He took in a deep breath, calming himself down, trying hard not to let his attention drift to the fact that Elena was still clad in her tiny pjs.

"Well, then, I'll leave you to it."

"Oh! Damon."

"Yes  _mia tesoro,_ I live to serve."

"Could you bring down my things from Stefan's room. I don't think I'll be staying there anymore."

"Oh really." He smiled.

"Something about this room, it just makes me happy." A small smile stretched across her face, and for once, Elena genuinely looked happy. He was suddenly proud of the effort he put into this space, it was all paying off. The fact that he had made her happy opened up a crevice that his emotions began pouring through. This somehow made his hunger that much worse. He had to get out of here tonight, have a drink, have a snack.

"Well then, I'll leave you to it. And don't worry,  _I'll_ knock before I come into  _your_  room."

He let that one slip, but he knew it was true. The room was hers, it always had been. She just didn't know it.


	2. Chapter 2

The sun was just starting to set as Damon walked down the stairs, dressed and ready to go out. He was wearing a sateen black button down shirt, half tucked into a pair of dark wash skinny jeans. He had shined his modern wing-tips, opting for dress shoes as opposed to his normal boots. Tonight, he was going to go somewhere a bit fancier than the Mystic Grill, electing to drive a little less than an hour south to Richmond. He walked into the living room, pouring himself a symbolic glass of bourbon, hoping it would be a harbinger for a good night out. Much to his surprise, he heard the clacking of a pair of stiletto heels patter down the stairs.

"And what has you all dressed up tonight,  _Belle_?" He didn't turn around to look at her, keeping his gaze transfixed on the fireplace.

"Well,  _Beast_ , I heard you mention this morning that you were going out tonight, and I figured I would come along."

"What, did you grow tired of talking to the wardrobe? Were the teacups not enough company?"

"As gorgeous as it is, you can't see the gardens at night." She was slowly walking closer to him.

"Then I'll have lamps installed. You're not going. End of story." He drank the remainder of the bourbon in one sip, loudly placing the glass back on the table.

"So you're just going to leave me here, by myself, with no protection? I mean, vampires can't come in but what about werewolves, rogue witches, humans?"

"The doors lock, you know where the weapons are. Plus, I'm going to a bar, you are not old enough." He dug his nails into the arm of the couch he was leaning on. He had to convince her that she couldn't come. This night was for him, to get out all his pent up vampire and sexual energy. He didn't want to turn to see her, because he knew she was all dressed up from the sound of her heels and the scent of her perfume.

_No, not her normal perfume. That's the one I bought for her that's in the garden room._

He knew that if he saw her, he would use his resolve and give her whatever she wanted.

"What if I want to just hang out with you? You know,  _you're not the worst company in the world_." She was turning his words around on him- the ones that he used that time he swept her away to Georgia. Damon wasn't used to being on the other side of wordplay, especially when emotions were involved.

_Time for me to tell her the truth then, last ditch effort. If she knows the truth, she'll never want to go with me._

"Well Elena, if you  _must_  know, I'm going to a bar, out of town, so that I can have some actual human blood. From a beautiful woman, still nice and 98.6 degrees. And, if you really want more details, chances are, with my oozing charm, that woman will have sex with me." He turned around to throw a scathing smirk in her direction, ignoring the fact that he had resolved not to look at her now that there was zero chance of her coming with him. Instead of cringing, walking away, or like most sane humans would, running away, Elena stood there, high-heel clad feet planted on the aged wooden floor boards, arms crossed across her chest.

"Fine. I still want to go." She smirked back at him.

"Well then. We have reached an impasse." He poured a second glass of bourbon. Now that he saw her, he would need it to calm down. She was absolutely breathtaking in the tight black cocktail dress. She had her hair styled in waves, an uncomfortably close style to Katherine's trademark curls, but it would be a lie to say it didn't suit the contours of her face. Her makeup was sultry, transforming her from an innocent looking girl-next-door into the sex goddess she clearly was inside.

"You did buy me this dress for party-related emergencies, right? I might as well put it to good use…"

"Wel-"

"I'll ignore the fact that you somehow knew my dress size if you let me come with you…."

"Fine. But don't go getting yourself into any danger,  _doppelganger._  You also have to promise not to cramp my style. If it looks like I have a girlfriend then it impedes my ability to  _grab a snack._  And, if I happen to  _disappear_  for an hour or so… don't worry about it. You know what I'll be up to. Deal?"

"Deal. Grab your keys, let's go." His keys were dangling in her hand. He loved it when she was sassy like that. It was sexy as hell.


	3. Chapter 3

Elena was off somewhere, dancing probably. Damon didn't particularly care. He hadn't heard any screams, and every once in a while he would catch a wiff of that dangerously expensive perfume he had bought her, and he was happy enough with that evidence of safety.

_She isn't even my girlfriend. If Stefan really wanted her to be safe, he wouldn't have left her alone with me. It's not my job to protect her all the time just because I 'love' her. Damon Salvatore does not continue to pine after women who don't want him. Been there, done that, waited 150 years to learn that lesson, wrote a heart-wrenching novel about it. No more doppelganger heartbreak drama for me._

Since the moment he came into the club, he was skirting the line where his humanity switch existed, putting more effort into being selfish then he ever had before. He wasn't going to make this night about Elena, and he reminded himself over and over on the car ride here that she had rejected him, and in her words, she would always reject him.

He didn't realize that by trying so hard not to care, he was making the night about her, but at this point in the evening, he was far too drunk to have anything close to a coherent thought. So there he sat, in the tiny balcony area in the back of the club, sitting on a tiny red-velvet loveseat with a blonde pretty enough to be a debutante or a centerfold, whatever he wanted her to be. To stay this drunk, as a properly fed vampire, Damon had to consume approximately a shot of liquor every five minutes. His little friend had a tiny bottle of xanax, and mixing that with the alcohol gave him that deliciously dangerous combination that would kill most humans, but make a vampire just incoherent enough to stop caring about their brother's girl.

_Who is probably down there right now, on the dance floor, grinding up on some guy. Or some girl- her choice I guess._

Damon locked eyes with the blonde, leveraging his compulsion to get to his goal.

"Remember, like I said earlier. Don't scream." He caressed her cheek lightly, his tone soft and gentle. Anyone catching a glimpse of them would think he was whispering sweet nothings. "If you want to say anything, just moan my name- which is Damon by the way."

Her pupils dilated right before he lunged forward, pressing rushed, wet kisses from her cheek down to her neck before gnashing his fangs into her fair-skinned neck. The warm, ferrous liquid filled his mouth, bringing a euphoric sense of life into his cold body. It had been far too long since he had a meal this perfect, and the rush of being a bit sloppy and feeding in public made it that much better. He drank for just a little too long, savoring the sweet, slightly juniper-berry flavor of her blood.

_She must have had more than one gin and tonic._

Letting just a little self control overcome him, he let logic sneak in, pulling his fangs out of her neck and slowing his sucking. He licked up the last few drops of her blood before seductively dragging his plump lip up her neck, breathing out hot air as he brought goosebumps to her skin. He let his hand wander down the curve of her waist, tracing all the way down to her stocking covered thigh. It truly was a crime that she was wearing sheer black stockings. As sexy as they were, he wanted to feel the skin of her legs- the warm, soft, human texture. He wanted to feel how a light sweat would be making her thighs just a bit sticky as the lust grew inside of her. It was always this easy for him.

_Except with Elen-_

He pushed down that thought, moving his hand from her outer thigh to her inner thigh, resting it right between her legs. Even with the pantyhose, he could still feel humidity building as he breathed in, finally letting himself breathe in the aroma of her arousal.

"I know you want me," He nipped at her ear, sliding his hand a little further between her legs. "Is there somewhere we could go… a bit more private?" He squeezed the plump flesh at the very top of her inner thigh, the constant pulse of her femoral vein driving him wild. He couldn't wait to sink his fangs into it. "Why don't we take this back to your place?" He already knew she lived in the area. He would never compel a woman to be with him, but he was at least smart enough to ask a few direct questions up front before getting his hopes up. It was always the standard. 'Do you have a boyfriend, if so is he here. Do you live in the area. Are you here with anyone'. This girl was a teacher, and she had her own tiny apartment downtown.

"Yes." She breathily responded. "We should go back to my place, have a few more drinks?"

"Sounds lovely" Damon pulled out the charm, proud of himself that his plan had worked. He was going to achieve both of his goals tonight- both feeding and fucking. The gorgeous bombshell blonde was just the cherry on top of his hedonistic vampire-night-out pie.

As the woman led him back downstairs, lightly dragging him by the arm, Damon reached into his pocket to grab his cell phone. He shot Elena a quick message.

' _Going out.'_ God he was drunk, that message barely made any sense. He was already out, and he was at least lucid enough to realize it was a dumb message after he sent it.

' _Back to a girls house. I'll let you know when I'm… finished ;) '_

' _Oh if it gets too late, take my card from the bar tab. Go get a hotel or something. But I doubt you would have a hard time finding some guy to go home with'_

Satisfied with his last message, he threw his phone into his pocket and let the blonde lead the way.


End file.
